John McDonnell says party will blame Brexit rather than Jeremy Corbyn if they lose two crucial by-elections
Shadow Chancellor said Britain’s historic referendum result had ripped up all the rules
LABOUR’s John McDonnell admitted that the party would try blame Brexit rather than their hapless leader if they lose two crucial by-elections next month.
Hitting back at claims Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership would be “toast” if Labour lost the crunch showdowns, the Shadow Chancellor said Britain’s historic referendum result had ripped up all the rules.
Speaking to the BBC, he said: “Since Brexit you can’t calculate by-election results on what’s gone on in the past so what we’re going to do is fight for every vote, and that’s what we’re going to do.”
Defeats in currently Labour seats of Stoke-on-Trent Central and Copeland on February 23 would be unprecedented in the history of by-elections, which almost never see Opposition parties lose seats during a Government’s term in office.
Polls are too close to call in Copeland, Cumbria and Ukip boss Paul Nuttall is set to target Stoke that he branded “the capital of Brexit”.
Asked if he was preparing to lose, Mr McDonnell replied: “Not at all, we’re preparing to fight this vote by vote and I think we’re going to win because we’ll have strong local candidates campaigning, yes on Brexit, but also on the NHS.
In a further blow to the party’s credibity Shadow Home Secretary — and close Corbyn ally — Diane Abbott said she could not say what the party’s position on triggering of Article 50 will be.
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Mrs Abbott was unable to say if the party would issue a three line whip to back up their claims that they will not seek to block Britain’s EU divorce.
Amid threats of a rebellion, Mr Corbyn told Sky News yesterday that he would “ask” Labour MPs to respect the result of the EU referendum and back firing the starting gun the formal Brexit process.